


Family Matters

by the_only_education_worth_having



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Mood Swings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 07:59:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_education_worth_having/pseuds/the_only_education_worth_having
Summary: Harry's moods are ever changing but can reader figure out what is wrong.





	1. Mood Swings

‘Well thanks for letting me borrow it, Hermione,’ Y/N said as she handed the old leather-bound book into her friends eagerly awaiting hand.   
‘No problem,’ Hermione said trying not to be too obvious in her scanning of the book to check its condition. Books were very important to Hermione and though she loved to share her knowledge, sharing her own copies was often a heart-wrenching task for her so she only lent to those who she could absolutely trust. Y/N was on that list as she was as loving towards books as her friend that didn’t stop her fretting though.   
‘I was careful…promise,’ Y/N said to Hermione with a smirk who’s neck flushed scarlet at being caught.   
‘Sorry. I was just- ‘Hermione started though her attention was caught as the kitchen fireplace made a whooshing noise and the fire in it flashed green. From the flames appeared a man in his early twenties with chaotic jet-black hair and a bespectacled face. He stepped out and started to wipe soot from his suit before looking up and catching both women in his eye line. He didn’t seem surprised to see Hermione at his kitchen table as this had become a regular occurrence in his life as had his fixture at her and Ron’s apartment.   
‘Hi Hermione,’ he said with a smile as she reciprocated the greeting. He moved to Y/N who was sat on the other side of the table and leaned down pressing a kiss to her temple.   
‘Hey,’ Y/N said reaching a hand out to stroke his arm as he pulled away moving to grab a glass of water, ‘how was work?’  
‘Okay.’  
‘Anything interesting happen?’ Hermione asked.   
‘Nope.’  
‘I heard about the death eater activity in the daily prophet- ‘  
‘-Yeah, it’s been a rough day. Look, Y/N I’m gonna go shower okay?’  
‘Okay, but are you sure- ‘  
‘I’m sure.’

And with that abrupt conclusion, Harry shuffled out of the room dumping his bag and coat on the hooks by the door as he went. Y/N watched him go with a saddened face which she attempted to mask as she turned back to the table and noticed Hermione watching her.   
‘Do you want another cup of tea?’ Y/N asked with an airy tone as she moved to make one without a word from Hermione in an attempt to hide her face. She stood by the counter and with a flick of her wand forced the kettle to start boiling and the cups to place themselves ready with a teabag in each. She busied herself for a few moments and Hermione watched her though her back was to her the whole time. She hadn’t sensed anything was wrong when she came, Y/N had certainly not insinuated there was anything happening between the couple and she was usually so open about her life. Hermione and she had learned to confide in one another as the boys were almost completely useless preferring to brush off any emotional conversations. 

Steam rose from the kettle and Y/N busied herself and made two mugs of tea before she moved back to the kitchen table and sat down placing Hermione’s piping hot mug in front of her. She didn’t look at Hermione for a moment and kept her eyes placed on the mug she was holding blowing on it gently. Hermione watched her curiously before waving her hand out in front of her and saying, ‘you want to talk about it?’

Y/N looked up surprised by Hermione’s bluntness but shook her head none the less. She then sighed and said, ‘I would but I don’t even know what it is.’  
‘Really?’ Hermione asked with a frown.  
‘Yeah, he’s in one of his moods.’  
‘Oh, I see,’ Hermione said with a smile. Having known Harry for over ten years she was used to riding his roller coaster of emotions though they seemed to have settled in the years since Voldemort was on the rise, ‘you don’t know what’s to blame?’   
‘Nope. It’s been going on for about a month. I thought it was me at one point. He woke up last night a few times and I tried to speak to him then, he wasn’t having it.’   
‘Is he having nightmares again?’   
‘I don’t know.’  
‘You don’t think it’s anything to do with you-know…Voldemort.’  
‘I don’t think so. I would think that he wouldn’t be so stupid to keep things from me but you never know. No, I don’t think I could do you?’  
‘There has been quite a bit of death eater activity. Unknown wizards trying cause problems, low level of course but the stress that’s being put on the magical law enforcement department would be quite a lot I would imagine.’   
‘You think that’s why he’s being so moody lately?’  
‘It could be? I don’t know Y/N,’ Hermione sighed. She felt the watch on her wrist become warm and she looked down to find it glowing and Ron’s hand move to travelling. She grasped her mug of tea and gulped it down quickly before announcing to Y/N that she would have to leave.   
‘Ron’s taking me out tonight. Says he feels like he’s not seen me in weeks.’  
‘That’s a ministry job for you huh?’  
‘Yeah,’ Hermione chuckled as she gathered her things. Catching Y/N’s sad gaze she reached out and placed her hand on hers, ‘it’ll be alright Y/N. He’s just being Harry.’  
‘I know,’ Y/N said unconvincingly. 

Hermione donned her coat and took her bag and book to the fireplace and with her free hand she grasped a handful of floo powder and clambered into the fire place, dropping it in as she announced her destination. 

Y/N watched her go and lingered for a minute before gathering the now empty mugs and placing them in the sink. She moved slowly and quietly from the kitchen towards the stairs listening for Harry as she went but all she could here was the faint sounds of thudding music coming from their bedroom. Deciding Harry would most likely be unreachable at this moment in time she went back into the kitchen and after a quick look at the clock decided it was an acceptable time to start making dinner, and that it was also acceptable for her to have a glass of wine. A large one. 

With the vegetables cutting themselves Y/N warmed a pan and started to brown her chicken. Flicking her wand towards the radio she switched it on allowing her favourite muggle band to ring out through the kitchen. She moved expertly, her hands being able to make the dish without having to think about it too hard. The heavenly scent wafted through the house and it wasn’t long before Harry moved from his spot upstairs. Trailing down the stairs slowly he moved to the kitchen where he waited by the door, unnoticed by Y/N as her back was to him. She had her hair up now, tied in a messy pony tail, which swayed as she moved with the music. She stirred the pot as Harry watched her, his heart aching. After all, he had been through he never thought he would be able to love someone as much as he did Y/N. Even more so he didn’t think that she would every love him in the same way. When she had reciprocated his feelings, he had been over the moon and though it hadn’t been easy he loved her still.

Which is why he hated being so difficult. He could feel himself being awkward and distant but he couldn’t help himself. He saw the look on Hermione’s face when he had brushed Y/N off so coldly this afternoon. He didn’t want to. He had had a rough day at the office. His mind had been preoccupied and his lack of sleep from the night before had made it impossible to concentrate. He was supposed to interrogate a known dark wizard about some illegal activity that had come to the law enforcements attention but he had been so lost in thought his interrogation had been poor and with reluctance had been forced to let the wizard back onto the streets. Not that this was such a threat since Voldemort had disappeared, but it his followers, well what was left of them, banding together as much as they could was still a cause for concern. 

And there was his secret. Something he had been keeping inside for so long it was starting to get to him. Ever since he had thought about it he couldn’t get it out of his head and so it had built, seeping into every inch of his life and disrupting everything. It was a good secret, at first. But like most things in his life it had turned sour and so was distressing him so much. It had even started to affect his sleep. Y/N had noticed though she hadn’t started to try and talk to him about it. He didn’t want to. Not yet. He wasn’t ready. A creak of the floorboard gave his position away and Y/N turned, noticing him in the doorway she smiled though it failed to meet her eyes and harry knew it was his fault. 

Harry moved to the drawers in the kitchen as she turned around continuing cooking and started to set the table. Once set he sat down at the table in silence watching her silently as she spooned the pasta dish out onto two plates. She placed one in front of him and sat down too, tucking in without glancing at him much. She didn’t want to press the issue fearing there would be a confrontation and so she ate silently and sipped on her wine. 

‘How was work?’ Harry asked as he watched her eat quietly.   
‘Fine,’ she said. Her answer wasn’t rude or abrupt. It was simple. She didn’t want to instigate anything and so kept herself back until she knew how this scenario would play out.  
‘Good,’ Harry said, ‘anything interesting?’   
‘A man had cursed himself so bits of him were turning to stone.’  
‘Really? Which bits?’ Harry asked with a smirk.  
‘You don’t want to know,’ Y/N replied with a giggle, Harry laughed too and Y/N took this as a good sign and decided to edge in with a question, ‘how was your day?’  
‘Okay,’ Harry said with a sigh, ‘I mean one of our interrogations went awry but other than that okay.’  
‘What happened?’   
‘He was just too hard to pin down.’   
‘Really I would have thought that you would- ‘  
‘Well, I couldn’t okay?’ Harry said defensively.

Y/N sighed. It seemed to be going so good.   
‘What?’ Harry said.   
‘Nothing.’  
‘Doesn’t seem like "nothing". Come on out with it.’  
‘You’re one to talk.’  
‘What do you mean?’   
‘You. You’re moody and distant. There’s something major bothering you, you’ve got something going on and won’t tell me and you want me to tell you what’s wrong.’  
‘Y/N,’ Harry groaned.  
‘Don’t Y/N me Harry James Potter.’

Y/N moved from the table. She grabbed her plate and glass and dumped them on the sideboard as she reached for a bottle of wine and poured another glass. Harry watched her and with a heavy sigh left his food and moved towards her. She stood away from him and tensed as she felt him come up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder heavily. In the kitchen window, she could see his face indistinctly though the frown upon it was so clear to her. 

‘What’s going on with you?’ she whispered. Harry sighed and pulled back twirling her around to face him.   
‘I’ve just got a lot going on at the minute. I’m sorry I’ve taken it out on you. Honestly.’  
‘What is it? What’s going on?’ she asked with a frown, ‘you can tell me what’s going on. That’s what we’ve always said, Harry. Don’t keep things from me.’  
‘I’m not, I’m going to tell you I promise but can you just trust me for a second. I promise once I’ve sorted things out I’ll tell you.’

Y/N frowned but looked into Harry’s bright green eyes and saw only the truth. He wasn’t lying and whatever he was keeping from her must be big.   
‘Okay,’ Y/N said, picking her wine up from the counter, ‘but I don’t like this.’  
‘I don’t expect you to.’


	2. Secrets Revealed

Harry had dwelled on his secret. Now that he had announced that there was one, now that he had been truthful with himself about what was occurring he knew it was going to happen. He knew he had to do it. So, the next day he planned. Planned what he was going to say, how he was going to explain himself. When he finished work that day he headed home, hoping he was getting home earlier than Y/N. It was Friday night – when she worked later so he figured he’d have time. 

She arrived home a couple hours after him looking tired and bedraggled – though still beautiful.   
‘Hey,’ she said as she came in through the floo network stopping to give him a kiss before dumping her work things in the hallway.  
‘Hey,’ Harry shouted following her path, ‘put some clothes on we’re going out.’  
‘What why?’ she asked turning around to look at him puzzled.  
‘I’ve got something I need to talk about,’ he stated.   
‘Okay,’ she said eyeing him curiously, ‘I won’t be long.’

After showering she put on some new clothes and descended the stairs where she joined Harry who grasped her arm and transported her through apparition to a small restaurant in Hogsmeade. Their favourite. Dinner wasn’t a long affair though it was exhilarating for Y/N who was on edge every time Harry spoke, fearing about what his news was going to be. After dinner was finished and paid for Harry got up and beckoned her to join him. He led her outside and behind the restaurant where he transported her again. 

It was dark now, the evening having truly set in and Y/N couldn’t really determine where they were. It was a village for sure with quaint Tudor-esque buildings all around. Harry led them down the deserted streets expertly though Y/N was unsure how he knew where to go as this place was unfamiliar. 

He moved in a stroll with her on his arm and down a small winding road that led to a square. On one side was a large church and a graveyard littered with small stone graves. Shops made up the other three sides of the square. It was clearly a wizarding village though Y/N was unsure she had been here before in the middle of the square was a statue and though it was dark she attempted to make it out through the low lamplight. As the figures came into view Y/N clicked to where Harry had taken her. To where they were. 

Godric’s Hollow. 

She was right. She hadn’t been there before when they had fled during their seventh year she had left Harry and Hermione alone on his orders and the two of them had gone to Bathilda Bagshot’s together. She had never seen where Harry had made his name. 

Harry led her onto the square and the two of them moved in silence towards the bench that sat near it. Harry sat down and she followed suit. He was quiet for a moment, looking at the statue of his parent and him in quiet contemplation and Y/N didn’t want to interrupt. With a hefty sigh, he looked at her and smiled. She reciprocated but a pit of fear was now nestled in her gut threatening every thought she had.

‘I bet you’re wondering what the hell’s going on,’ he said with a chuckle.  
‘Just a bit,’ Y/N said leaning back against the bench as Harry turned to face her properly.   
‘I wanted you to come here. To see where I began. Where everything started. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately.’  
‘How come?’  
‘Dudley.’  
‘Your cousin Dudley? What’s he got to do with anything?’   
‘He’s the one that started all this. You see he found a box. When Petunia died he found an old box of things in the attic, mostly rubbish but one of the boxes belonged to my mum. Stuff from when she was a kid and some other things. Apparently, some things were salvaged when they died.’  
‘Really?!?’  
‘Yeah,’ Harry said with a sad smile. He paused for a moment to look at the statue.  
‘That’s brilliant Harry.’  
‘Yeah, it had my old baby blanket that I was given to the Dursleys with and some other things. And it got me thinking. About family. My family. It’s not like I don’t know things about my mum and dad but I never got to know them. The Dursleys weren’t anything to be proud of in terms of relations so I don’t think of them as a family. I don’t really have one- ‘  
‘-What about the Weasleys? Hermione? Me?’  
’And I know that Ron and Hermione and the Weasleys count me as part of the family but I don’t truly think about them that way. I guess what I was thinking about is that I don’t have a family. I never have, not really. I mean there’s all the unofficial people I consider myself to be kin to but it’s not the same.’   
‘I am. I’m your family Harry,’ Y/N started. She supposed she could understand where he was coming from, she had after all grown up in a large loving family so the idea she’d ever be alone was slightly unattainable to her but nevertheless she was upset he would dismiss their relationship like that.

‘Don’t get upset. I know and that’s what I’m getting at. I was thinking about it looking over my mum’s stuff but I’ve never had a family, except for you. You are my family. You’re my home. You’re my everything Y/N.’   
‘Nice to know.’  
‘I mean it. Which is why my next thought panicked me, why I was so moody and distant. You know me, I lie to overthink things and with the death eater activity still around I was just so worried that- ‘  
‘Harry honey you’re not making sense.’  
‘I was worried about you being family. About people knowing how I felt about you because it makes you a target. Sure, Voldemort’s gone but his followers, his nutters, we don’t know how many there are left and I wouldn’t want you to be in danger.’  
‘Harry I’m pretty sure I’m already an obvious target if anything were to happen. But I don’t care. I knew what I was signing up for, chosen one,’ she smirked, ‘look if you’re even thinking about breaking up with me don’t because honestly.’  
‘I’m not, trust me,’ Harry smiled, ‘I know but there’s a difference between being known and flaunting it, and I think this could be flaunting it, don’t you?’ 

At that moment Harry produced a small black box from his pocket and opened it revealing a sparkling ring into the low light. Y/N gasped, the ornate silver ring was adorned with small sapphires aside a large diamond – it was beautiful.   
‘Harry!’  
‘Y/N when I got that box, this was in it. It was my grandmothers - on my dad side. My grandfather got it her for their 45th wedding anniversary from what I could find out from people that knew them. I did some digging,’ he admitted bashfully, ‘it was one of the only things that came from my past. From my family. And I thought about giving it to you. To making you my family officially, making you a target. But you’re right. I’ve brooded over this for a month and I know you’re right. The past is the past and I don’t want focus on it any longer. I want you to be my family, I want you to be my wife. Y/N will you marry me?’   
‘Of course, I will.’


End file.
